U-TOUCH Uganda Education Project

U-TOUCH is about to begin its 10^th year sponsoring students in northern Uganda who were identified as orphans resulting from the 20-year LRA War. After Pauline, selected as a Woman Peacemaker in San Diego, shared horrific atrocities of the war, the staff of U-TOUCH asked how they could help. Pauline immediately responded that children, now orphans were pleading at her feet for an education. She asked that U-TOUCH sponsor their education, to which they immediately responded affirmatively. The rest is history and students have successfully graduated from high school and universities, becoming teachers, lawyers, grant writers, entrepreneurs, etc., while others are yet to complete their education. Please meet Julius, one of the students, who is a highly motivated young man, eager to make an impact on his world.

I am called Julius. I was born in 1998 to my late parents, who were killed during the time of the Lord Resistance Army’s activities in northern Uganda. My parents died when I was a young child, helpless in the village. Thereafter, my aunt took us, me and my cousins, to town because of the hard situation in the village, where there was no food, no clothing, and no proper medical care. Then we went to live with our grandmother when I was nine years old. When I was ten years old, U-TOUCH came into my life and started paying my school fees, providing scholastic materials and helping me to learn computer skills. I am writing with great joy and pleasure just to say a word of appreciation to U-TOUCH and the GlobalGiving program for your support and continuously paying my school fees. Because of your help I can now nurse my dreams of becoming a doctor in the future. After studying advanced level sciences, I can work in a hospital to save other people. I also thank you for helping the African families with students who have the need for a quality education. In the future, I would also like to pay school fees for other kids as U-TOUCH is doing for me. My wish is that I may complete my schooling and help others. May you be blessed abundantly during your daily life. Thank you so very much for helping my goal.Thanks,Julius

The U-TOUCH staff met Julius in 2009 at his grandmother’s village of thatched huts in Gulu District.  By then he and his seven cousins lived with their aging grandmother, who lost their parents in the war. They all helped maintain the village and worked in the garden daily producing food for the family’s nutrition.  The staff noted that Julius loved to read.  In fact, when he was just 10 years old, he and his cousin Sebastian built a reading hut where they could become proficient readers and scholars. Without parents to fund his school tuition fees, Julius read daily in the hut though yearned for a formal education.  Upon meeting the U-TOUCH staff Julius pleaded for an education sponsorship, to have the opportunity to attend school. Recognizing his fervor to learn Julius was welcomed into the U-TOUCH sponsorship program along with his cousins, and was immediately enrolled in primary school. He excelled academically and maintained excellent behavior in school. He performed well on the primary leaving national exam and was accepted into a top “O” level school, equivalent to middle school. In fact, Julius has been so focused on his education that during U-TOUCH sponsored student’s celebration days he joins the activities for a few hours and then eagerly returns to study at school.

Julius is highly motivated to learn, is attentive and focused in class, finishes his assignments promptly and always does a “quality job”.  He is a wonderful writer, is well-liked and respected by both his peers and his teachers. He is performing well in school and takes his education very seriously. Following the Uganda Certificate of Education exams in the equivalent of the US 10^th grade, Julius was accepted in a prestigious “A” level school to complete his final two years in high school. He has been an excellent student having completed Senior 5 (S-5), the US equivalent of 11^th grade and in a good position to begin Senior - 6 (S-6), his final year in high school. He will read and study for his final year exams throughout S-6 to perform as best as possible to be accepted into a university to study medicine. Julius has shared that he is truly grateful for the continuation of his revered education so that he can reach his dream of becoming a doctor and help his family, community and country advance. He is most appreciative of the generosity of the GlobalGiving donors who make his education possible!

Thank you to the donors who have made this GlobalGiving project possible. U-TOUCH is deeply appreciative of the generous support. Please continue supporting the Uganda Education Project helping these orphans reach their dreams of completing their education to make an impact upon their families, communities and ultimately the country. 

The lives you change are the lives U-TOUCH!

With deepest gratitude,

The U-TOUCH Team